Bell ringing device for toy locomotives



July 19, 1932. J. E. cuFF BELL RINGING DEVICE FOR TOY LOCOMOTIVES Filed June 29, 1951 oaooovoooo Patented July 19, 1932 UNITED sTA'rEs JAMES E. Curr, or HI'NSDALE, ILLINOIS, AssrenOn To immpimiem Mrs. or

. CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS rem, RINGI'NG DEVICE rojnlror LOCOMOTIVES Application filed June 29,

V This invention relates to a bell ringing unit for embodimentin toy locomotives of eitherthe mechanically or electrically "driven type to simulate the soundof the bells on large passenger and freight service-locomotives now infgeneral .use, and has for its general object to provide a practical unit of this character which is. of relatively simple, inexpensive construction, which may readily be installed on existing-types of toy locomotivessubstantially without alterations there to, andwhichis thoroughly reliable, positive and efiicientin operation.

i Another object of theinvention is to provideza bell ringing unitwhich is strong and durable, which is readily capable of being mounted in a concealed and protected position within the usual cab or at another convenient point on a toylocomotive, which derives its actuating power-from the propulsionmotor of the locomotive, and which requires only anegligibleiamountof power'for its actuation. v {Withthe foregoing and: other objects in view, which will become more fully apparent; as the nature of the invention is better/understood, the same consists in the novel features of construction, .1 combination and arrangement of parts as willbe hereinaftermore fully described,illustrated in the accompanying drawing'aiid'defined inthe appended claims. m..-" -f ,r l

In the drawing, wherein like characters of reference denote" corresponding parts, in the dilferent viewsz- 1 7' -de elevation of a toylocoment' of the invention,parts being'broken awayto more clearly disclose theunderlying structure- Figure 2 is a plan view otlthe motor, unit tive showing the bell ringing of: the locomotive showing thei-jbellringing.

unit operatively mounted thereon. 1

Figure 3 is a rear elevation of the unit operatively mounted thereon. 9

Figure 4 is a detail viewi-llustrating by full .and dotted 'lines, respectively,- striking and locomo- "25 Orin other suitable manner to saidbracket 931, Serial No. 547,744.;

energized position ofltlie .bellclapper t Figure 5 is a detail persp'ecti'veyiew of. the clapper and spring assembly;

lief-erring; to the drawing in :detail designates, generally, a toy locomotiveg which may be of any known ordesired design, B

designates, generally, the power unit'jof the locomotive which may bereit her an electric or a spring motorqin accordance w.ith,.conimon practice, and C. designates, generally, 1.

the present bellringing unit accordingv to one practicable embodiment thereof.

Present insmn e hw we innite' .is illustrated as a spring; motonmounted in a -frame 1 0 and inclusive of a. driveigear 1f1" operatively. connected through; gearing, designated generally as 12 ,with the axle 13fof one pair of the locomotive. :drive wheels, 14.

' The bellringing unit O comprisesvessentially a bell 15 and a cooperating clappenltl.

In the present instancelthebell ismounted on the supporting arm17 of a substantially L-shaped bracket 18, whoseattaching arm -l9is suitably secured to the power unit frame '10, or to some other convenient part of the locomotive structure, to dispose the bell ina suitable operative position. For example, as shown, the arm. 19 of the brac-ket 18 is secured across the top of the frame atlthe rear end thereof to support the bell in a protected and substantially concealed position within the cab 20 of the'locomotive,

The clapper 16'Inay conveniently be formed from a length ofheavy wire bent as shown into substantially Y shape, one arm 21 thereof constituting a striker forfcontact with the bell 15, and the other arm 22thereof being of relatively greater length and constituting a finger for cooperation with lugs 23 carried by thegear wheel 11 whereby striking move-' mentsof the efi'ected- Q The clapper 16. is resiliently supported arm 21 against the bell. 1.5 are lromthe arm 19 of the bracket 18 through the instrumentality of a spring arm 24, said arm" being secured at its forward end by. arivet arm and at its rear endbeing bent into, U-

shape and clamped between the arms 21, 22 of the'clapper, whereby the latter isresiIiently EQ suspended and held normally, ina position gear wheel 11in any suitable manner;.;th ey ter of the gear whereby their cooperation withi the clapper arm 22 utilizes only a negligible amount of the available power of'the power unit of the locomotive. concentrically about the axis of the gear and in circumferential spaced relation such that as the gear rotates they successively engage.

'andiswing the arm 22 to actuate the clapper.

That is tosay, when the clapper is in its normal position as illustrated by full lines in Fig. 4:; the free end of the c'lapperarm is disposedlinthe 'pathof movement of the-lugs 26, and the length of theclapper arm 22 and the spacingof'thelugs 23 is suchthat the arm 22 Will. be moved a limited amount by each lug and then will spring by said'lug to its normal or substantially its normal. position to be pi'ckedfup and again moved in the same ma-nnerby-each succeeding lug. In this connection it will .be "observed by referencev to 1. .i'g..3 that'the arms21,2:2 ofthe clapper are bent to extend laterally outward relative to each other whereby the'striker arm 21 6K. tends within'the'bell for cooperation therewith and the arm 22 extends across the edgefl of the bell into cooperative relationship with th g 2 Y i i 1 .The operation of the device is apparent and asfollows: Assuming the clapper to be in its normal position as shownin full lines I in Fig. 4' and'the gearwheel ll to be rotating in thedirection of the arrow a, which is the directionof rotation of said gear. wheel when the locomotive is moving forward, it will be observed thatthe free, end of the arm 22 will be engagedand moved by one of the lugs 23 tofthe dotted line position as permitted by u ward flexing ofthe spring arm 24 with consequentmovement of' the free end of the striker arm 21to' a position spaced from the bell .15. Upon slight continued movement o'fithe gear,- wheel 11 the lug in engagement with the arm'22. moves acrossithe free end of said? armQand releases the same, whereupon the energized spring 24- inreturning the clapper to its normalipositioncauses thefreeend oft he striker arm 21 to strike the bell and produce .a ringing sound'siinulating the soundofthe bell of a large locomotive. At

' the same time the spring arm 24L acts to cause the arm 2l'to strike the bell it returns the arm 22,.to..its normal full line position .where itfis picked up by thenext lug 23 and the ..opera 'tiOn i'srepeated; so that during travel of the They are. disposed locomotive the bell is repeatedlyrung is manifest. Inthis connection it is to be noted that the lugs 23 aresospaced apart that as the arm 22 returns to its normal position",

during normal travel of the locomotive and rotation of the .gearwheel-ll at a normal rate of speed, each successive lug engages the arm 22 substantially simultaneously with or immediately following striking of the bell by the arm 21. "Consequently any chattering of the" striker "arm against the bell and any dulling of the ringing; sound due to'the striker arm remainmgin contact with the 7 bell is effectively avoided In" other words, each lug 23 operates to produce only a single blow of the striker arm. against the bell and as a consequence theringing sounds are sharp and clear andnentirely separate and distinct from one another. r

substantially the same operation takes place as has just been recounted The gear wheel 11 l andfthe arm 22 is. picked, upz -by 'eachisucc'es sive lug 23 being. elevated by each lug to flex thespring '24s upwardly and move: the striker arminto' aipositi'on spaced from. the

If the locomotive is travelling backward} rotates inthedirection of the arrow blinFig; i

bell, and being subsequently released by each lug topermit the spring 24 tozact toreturnthe clapper to its normaliposition with'consequent striking of the bell by the ar mi2ll- Without further "descriptionv it is thought that the features and advantages of the lfi-Z vent-ion will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and it' willrof course be understood. that changes in theform,.propor.- tion and minor details of constructionfmay be resorted to, without departingfrOm the spirit of the invention and; scope; ofthe' ap- I a V .105

p'endedclaims.

-I claim z 1; In a toy locomotive, a power: unitfor driving thesame inclusive of" a frame, a

bracket having angularly disposed attaching and supporting arms; the. former being.- secured-to said frame, a'bell carried by the 1 supporting arm of said bracket, a spring'arm secured tothe attaching'arm of..said- -bracket,

clapper including a pair of armsone constitutinga striker for cooperation with. the

- a clapper mounted on'said springuarm, said bell, 'said springarm tending to maintain said striker arm in normal; position; and'a member-'rotatable'by the powerzunitand'pro vided with a plurality of lugs for cooperation with the other arm of the clapper-to successively move the striker arm thereoftoaposr" tion spaced from thebell andtorelease the clapper each time the striker'arrn'thereof reaches said position.

comprising a-bracket inclusive of angularly p '12s 2. A bell ringing unit for toy-locomotives .dispo'sedattachingand supporting'arms, said I attaching-arms being adapted to be fastened to apart ofthe locomotive, abell mounted-on signature.

the said supporting arm, a spring arm fastened to the attaching arm of the bracket, and a clapper resiliently supported by said spring arm for cooperation with said bell and with a movable part of the locomotive structure when the bell ringing unit is operatively mounted thereon to produce bell ringing movements of the clapper.

3. In a bell ringing motives, a bell, a cooperating clapper and a spring arm supporting said clapper for cooperation with said bell, said clapper includmg a portion bent upon itself, and-said spring arm including a portion bent upon itself and clamped between the bent portions of theclapper whereby the latter is held in normal position in operative relation to the bell.

4. A bell ringing device for toy locomotives adapted to be mounted on the locomotive frame and operated by the power unit of the v locomotive comprising a bracket including an attaching arm and a rearwardly ofi'set bell supporting arm, said attaching .arm being secured to the locomotive frame above the power unit, a bell carriedpby said supporting arm, a clapper including a pair of arms one of which constitutes a striker for the bell, a spring arm carrying the clapper, and aplurality of lugs on a rotary member of the power unit adapted to successively en-V gage the other of the arms of the clapper thereby to actuate the same.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my JAMES E. CUFF.

device for toy loco- 

